There is a new Knockouts champion. Taya Valkyrie defeated Tessa Blanchard tonight at Impact Wrestling’s Homecoming PPV from Nashville TN.
The match will go down as controversial, however. Special guest referee, Gail Kim, hit Blanchard with Eat Defeat before allowing Taya Valkyrie to hit the Road to Valhalla for the victory.
Eat Defeat by @gailkimITSME.
Road To Valhalla by @TheTayaValkyrie.
NEW CHAMPION! #IMPACTHomecoming pic.twitter.com/4eTgh12nkt
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) January 7, 2019
Tension had been brewing between Kim and Blanchard for weeks on episodes of Impact Wrestling as well as after several near-falls in this match.
Taya Valkyrie Knockouts Champion
Valkyrie becomes the 22nd woman to won the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship. The inaugural champion, Gail Kim, having been the one to count the 3 tonight. She is already a 2x Reina de Reinas champion for AAA and also got a run with the infamous Iron Heavymetalweight championship for the comedy promotion in Japan, DDT.
The win for Taya ends Tessa Blanchard’s reign with the belt at 147 days. Blanchard has spent the 12th most combined days with the belt out of the 22 champions in its lineage. Two days ago, she passed Velvet Sky who is at 145 days. Blanchard falls short of ODB, who held the title for 153 days over the course of 4 runs with the belt.
Tessa Blanchard vs Gail Kim
Based on the actions of Kim and Blanchard in this match, it’s possible Kim comes out of retirement for one last match with Blanchard. Kim has said if she does wrestling again, it would be with Impact.